


wind rippling water

by nyoengland



Series: スズカゼ・アクア [2]
Category: Fire Emblem: If | Fire Emblem: Fates
Genre: Dessert & Sweets, F/M, Fire Emblem Fates: Birthright Spoilers, Friends to Lovers, Japanese names used, aqua are 白夜 royal's sister, canon support conversations, f!kamui - Freeform, fire emblem if: 白夜, i needed to finally contribute to the kazura fandom, kamui/joker is implied
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-11-29
Updated: 2017-12-03
Packaged: 2019-02-08 09:16:04
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 4,302
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12861447
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/nyoengland/pseuds/nyoengland
Summary: she can’t help but feel a little out of place. with their bright, rosy eyes, and the fiery spirits burning under every one of their skin…she cannot help but be self conscious as she touches her hair, sensing the water bubbling in her blood in place of a flame.then she spots him.





	1. dewdrops

**Author's Note:**

> written as a drabble for my writing course.
> 
> i have paired suzu and aqua up in every single file of if i own (8, save the one where i married suzukaze myself. she went to lazward...i felt bad, but soleil was especially cute.) they're my favourite pairing, narrowly beating out cyrus and hinoka! if i didn't love hinoka so much...

**_ i _ **

 

She walks against the war torn grass of the battlefield, bare feet catching the sunlight like dewdrops in mist. She draws her hands together, voice lifting and lilting, and Suzukaze can’t help but place down his shuriken - even for a moment, to admire Aqua’s sad smile as she sings.

 

Lord Ryouma - his brother’s lord - smiles at her and takes his sword out of his sheath, charging forward to intercept any enemy that gets close to her. Suzukaze feels a pang of jealousy bubble in his throat, but it dies down as soon as he remembers that they are siblings, newly reunited. That, and he quickly remembers his place as she turns to him, amber eyes lighting up a little, or was it just his imagination?

 

“Suzukaze,” she says all of a sudden, blue hair tucked neatly under her headdress as she seemingly floats to him, her feet making no noise on the crumbling grass. Before she can even reach him, he has bent down, dusky green hair swaying over his face as he bows to her. There is an awkward silence before she laughs, a musical sound as she gingerly grasps his arm and brings him up to face her. Feeling very self conscious, he shells off the little blades lining his uniform as if they were hardened fish scales.

 

“M-Milady,” he says, trying his best to disguise his rapidly beating heart. “I…I apologise, I should get back to my-”

 

“Hush,” she cajoles him, and Suzukaze lets himself lift his head and look into those clear eyes, and surprisingly, they have kept all their luster. “You know it’s Aqua with me, and nothing else. I won’t allow it.”

 

“As you wish, mil- _Aqua_ ,” he says, quickly correcting himself, trying to ignore the heat dancing on his cheeks. “Is there something you needed?”

“Oh, no,” she says. As her lips part to speak again,Suzukaze flinches as soon as he notices a pair of enemies move forward. Naturally, the closest one is quickly dispatched by Lord Ryouma, but his body has not ignored his years of training and he is instinctually covering her, hand slotting and grabbing the polished blade’s hilt and placing his legs in a fierce stance.

 

“…Ah,” Suzukaze says, turning a little redder as he watches Hinoka intercept the second berserker, her pegasus’ wings blazing as they fall. “Please, milady, this is an active battlefield…I apologise, but I must protect you and Lady Kamui first. Is your brother waiting for his song when it is his turn?”

Aqua laughs again, eyes twinkling with mirth as she shakes her head, her long blue hair following suit. “You _do_ know my song is my own, yes? Even if dear Kamui leads this army, she trusts us to make our own decisions. And by the way Ryouma is doing, I doubt he needs anything more than Sakura giving him a quick heal.”

 

“But…but of course,” he stammers, internally cursing himself for his lack of propriety. “I apologise, mil-”

 

She shakes her head and reaches up to touch his hair, her slender fingers losing themselves in the forest like shade. Suzukaze cannot help but drop his facade and allows himself a little smile at her touch.

 

“You concern yourself with too much, Suzukaze,” she says softly, and their eyes meet - as if she is about to say something deeper, something that he would give the world to hear from her lips and not from the other women who try to woo him as he walks through the marketplaces. “Perhaps you should-”

 

“Aqua!” Lady Kamui’s voice breaks through their little bubble, and the two of them spring away from each other, Suzukaze in mortification and Aqua in light embarrassment as they realise that it is their turn to move. “This Faceless doesn’t seem to be budging - can you give me a hand?”

 

“Oh, I’m sorry, Kamui! I’ll be with you in a moment,” she calls and smiles one last time at Suzukaze before leaving, her white cape flowing out behind her as she grips her lance once again and goes to take arms.

 

The warm feeling of their brief talk leaves Suzukaze with a determination that lasts the whole battle.

 

_ ii _

 

The two of them do more than exchange pleasantries and messages (mostly to Aqua) from there on out. He is the one that purloins her sweetmeats from the pantry, being the ninja that he is, and telling her that he had to give up one or two for Princess Sakura, laughing with her at her chocolate stained hands afterwards. The other princess is terribly shy but the two of them happily invite her into Aqua’s tent and Suzukaze serves them as a retainer should, pouring green tea without shaky hands, looking underneath his lashes, seeing Aqua gently coaxing Sakura to take a bite of sliced cake, a delicacy in war torn lands.

 

In return, she is the one carefully bandaging his freshly treated wounds and singing little tunes when he is especially wounded and calming his raging flesh when it refuses to settle down. He playfully nips her delicate fingers, like lily petals, when she feeds him foods, and she gapes in mock outrage as she makes sure he eats all of it in punishment, ignoring his fervent protests that a soldier of his station is not suited to such luxuries. She and Princess Sakura nurse arrow wounds and numb pulled muscles until he is ready the next day to protect her all over again.

 

He sees the elation in her eyes as she cradles the note from her nana and weeps over flower petals, but as he finds out that she embarrasses so easily like he does over mere tears she flees, and he is left to reach out for where she used to be only mere moments ago. The despair lingers in his mouth, bitter as dragon herbs, and Princess Sakura coaxes him with sweetmeats when he returns to camp without her - however, they are not as sweet without her presence.

 

He dare not approach Aqua in the next few days, and only seeks Princess Sakura when she questions him about his saddened appearance, her own eyes sad as she cradles the ninja’s arm and asks him to tell her what has happened - not only does he have a given duty to the two of her sisters, he has grown fond of her and agrees, following her to a small spot nestled under her namesake - a sakura tree.

 

“A-Aqua is upset,” she reveals the moment they sit down. Suzukaze had been laying out small cups of tea, hoping to turn the meeting into a small picnic as he knew she enjoyed, but his hands stilled at this, placing down the teapot handle.

 

“Princess Sakura, please elaborate,” he says gently, trying not to upset the timid girl. “Is it something that I have done?”

“N-No, she didn’t seem upset _with_ you, but r-rather herself,” Sakura admits, fiddling with the tiny tassels on her outfit. “She f-feels guilty about the incident with the flowers her nana had sent her.”

 

“Ah, I see,” Suzukaze says, and he hopes that she cannot sense the guilt running in his blood. “Please, if you see milady, tell her that there is nothing to be ashamed of. She was just-”

 

A little noise makes the two of them turn around, and perched underneath the branches is a very red Lady Aqua, her hand halfheartedly trying to cover her muffled snorts. Sakura is terrified, hiding behind Suzukaze and the other side of the tree - he internally thanked himself for leaving all his weaponry back in camp, or she might have pricked herself.

 

“A-Aqua!” Sakura squeaks, her mouth perched to stammer out five apologies as she slowly steps out of hiding, bottom lip wobbling in what is definitely misguided apology. “I…we…um, I’m-”

 

“It…it was completely my idea,” Suzukaze says quickly, affirming the statement with a halfhearted nod. “I…she was concerned about me, so I decided to bring her some treats and have a little picnic, but I know that I shouldn’t have slacked. I apologise, mila-”

 

“Oh, you two,” she says endearingly, and goes to embrace her trembling sister, pressing a kiss to her pink locks as she smiles up at Suzukaze. “You must know that there is no issue with taking time for ourselves. Come now, it was my mistake for eavesdropping. I must ap-”

 

“No!” both Sakura and Suzukaze say in unison, and the three of them burst into laughter. “Of-of course not, Aqua!”

 

“Milady, I must say that it was quite cute how you hid under that tree,” Suzukaze blurts out, and allows himself a small chuckle at how her expression becomes rosy again. “You must know that you can talk to Princess Sakura and I at any time, yes?”

“Ah, well…after what happened these few days, I was worried that I might upset you,” she says, wringing her delicate hands, one that Suzukaze has yearned to comfort.

 

“Milady, I-Please, don't apologize, milady. Your tears showed how deeply you must care for your nana.” he stammers, but feels his guise fall as soon as she reaches for his hair again, her fear replaced by a teasing expression he will give the world to protect.

 

“It’s _Aqua_ , Suzukaze.” she says sternly.

 

“Aqua…” he says as if it is a note of the music that she sings, savouring it in his mouth as he says it.

 

“But - please, swear to me you will forget that ever happened! It was very unbecoming of me,” she says, uncertainty and seriousness coating her words that Suzukaze wishes to remove - she has always felt that she has needed to maintain some posterity in her actions, but he has seen the fun loving side of her, and he wishes to coax it out.

 

“Milady - _Aqua_ , I am afraid I cannot swear to that.” he says as a result, crossing his fingers that he gets to see the night skies of Hoshido for another moon.

 

“What?” she sputters, and her amber eyes flash in surprise, bringing yet another smile to Suzukaze’s face.

 

“The image of you crying, clutching my sleeve, will be burned in my memory forever. I could not forget even if I tried.” he gingerly admits, but by then she is beside herself, a playful outrage lingering on her expression as she taps him lightly on his forearm.

 

“Suzukaze, that is not fair! You mustn’t tease me like that - at least promise not to tell anyone!” she gasps as if the incident was rooted by scandal, not of human emotions.

 

 _What about Princess Sakura?_ he asks himself at the back of his head, but the little princess is nowhere to be seen, funnily enough - neither are a good handful of the sweetmeats they had brought.

 

“Well, in that case, I suppose you might have to try to curry my favour a bit harder,” he says in a sing song voice, and she places her hands on her hips, blue hair swishing as she nods with a grin on her face.

 

“Yes, but what if I already do?” she grins. he cannot help but agree with her in both his heart and voice.

 

“My…you know me too well, milady. If it will make you feel better, I shall renew my vow of service to you.” he says, not being able to help but agree with her in both his heart and voice.

 

“If you insist, Suzukaze.”

 

“Aqua, I swear to always protect you and your nana even if it should cost me my life.” he says solemnly, breaking eye contact with her and kneeling, touching his forehead to her clothed knee. “I hope…I hope that you will hold this promise within your heart wherever you go.”

 

“But of course,” she says, and Suzukaze’s heart skips a beat as he thinks about the possibility of the tenderness in her voice to be genuine. “That's very chivalrous of you. I hope you also know that I really do rely on you.”

 

“Even though I am Lady Kamui’s liege, I…I am always at your service,” he says, and can’t fight back the laugh when she tugs him upright again and looks into her clear eyes, grateful to see the joy reflecting back in them once more. “Whatever you need.”

 

“As it seems, I _am_ in need of some company,” she says, throwing back a smile in his direction. “Would you see fit to continue this picnic with me?”

“Of course, mil-Aqua,” he chuckles, taking a spot on the clean grass next to her, setting out the green tea again. He makes a mental note to thank Princess Sakura for their time alone later.


	2. interlude

 

**_ iii _ **

 

“K-Kamui!” Sakura smiles, and her older sister comes up to embrace her as soon as her pink _geta_ meet the floor of the Mess Hall dinner room.

 

“Oh, Sakura!” Kamui says, pausing from her talk with Joker, and reciprocates the hug, pushing back her blue cape to greet her sister. “Did it go well?”

 

“Y-Yes!” Sakura says, fishing in her pocket for a handful of mochi treats. “Aqua and Suzukaze seem to have made up. They both seem so much happier now.”

 

“Dear Aqua, trying to deny what is fated to happen,” Kamui says, and smiles as she watches her sister stuff her cheeks full of the candies. “Thank you very much, Sakura. Maybe after dinner, you can read one of those stories you were penning the other day? Hinoka and Ryouma were overseeing the convoy, so I daresay I’ll have some time. Perhaps I’ll invite Takumi as well.”

 

“Y-Yes!” she exclaims, and sits down next to her sister to finish their meal, a smile on her face matching the ones on Aqua’s and Suzukaze’s that evening as they return to camp.

 

Not Suzukaze following her lead as it always has been, but the two of them entering the camp together, engrossed in conversation.

 

Hinoka and Ryouma are returning from convoy duty, and pause to give Aqua a word, but when they see Suzukaze bidding goodnight to her with a soft kiss to her hand, they share a smile and instead turn their feet to Kamui’s treehouse, where Kamui and Takumi are listening to Sakura’s tales, sharing some family time amidst a bloody war.

 

**_ iiii _ **

 

It is a wonderful sunset, and one right after a large victory in their fight. Kamui, in turn, has organised a little festival, one strife with good food, cheerful music and of course, dancing. Weapons and armour are cleared away for a day of happiness, lights are strung up all around wooden poles and Orochi claps her hands as Takumi whirls Sakura on the dusty floor, all worry and tension cleared from the prince’s eyebrows as he laughs with his sister. Hinoka is sitting back to back with Ryouma and Silas, the Nohrian knight obviously feeling a little out of place but he is animatedly talking with the two Hoshidan royals. Kagerou and Kazahana are dancing as well, Kazahana keeping a firm eye on her liege as Kagerou firmly steers her friend along, eyes dilating with frustration every time her feet are stepped on.

 

Aqua stands in the midst of it clutching a tiny box of red bean mochi, slowly placing one in her mouth every time Takumi dips Sakura to cheers or when Kamui cajoles Joker to dance with her to no avail. Even though she is blissful in her siblings’ joy, she can’t help but feel a little out of place. With their bright, rosy hair colours, and the fiery spirits burning under every one of their skin…she cannot help but be self conscious as she touches her hair, sensing the water bubbling in her blood in place of a flame.

 

Then she spots him. He is off to a side, clapping and humming the melody, eyes light as he murmurs a few words to Saizou. Aqua tries to sneak up behind him, but with the intuition he has being born ninja, he spots her before she can even get close and waves at her, a smile on his face like the radiance of a dawn.

 

“Suzukaze...do you have a minute?” she breathes, and he fights the surprise in his eyes to feign agreement, bidding his brother farewell before they steal away to the sakura tree, Kamui pausing from her discussion to look at the two of them with a knowing expression.

 

She has made sure to hang extra fairy lights for the extra push.


	3. union

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> note: suzukaze and aqua's conversation is based around their S-Support.

_**v** _

  


“You looked so surprised back there,” Aqua laughs as soon as they are alone, her heart beating a little faster at the way Suzukaze tucks his hair behind his ear and blushes like the young ladies who try to court him at market. “Sometimes I wish our meetings wouldn’t shock you so.”

  


“It’s not like that at all, Aqua,” he says, and Aqua fondly notes that he has stopped using _milady_ for a while now. “I am just humbled.”

  


“By the way you blush at me, I doubt so,” she teases, and she can see his shoulders lighten at the remark. “Well. I have to tell you why I sought you out today.”  


“Other to scoff at the hordes of women who see it fit to follow me around when we go buying foods for the army?” he says, following her whims, but Aqua is reminded with a hot bolt of jealousy that Suzukaze is quite popular and she would be more than fortunate for him to accept her affections. However…

  


“I suppose I already do it enough to make my company revolting,” she says lightly, but Suzukaze’s passioned consoling pushes away all the petty jealousy.

  


“You know your company is never revolting to me.”

  


She knows she must tell him now; there is no more resistance to this feeling.

  


“I have always…felt out of place with the Hoshidan royal family. It feels like the liveliest party one’s ever been invited to, but I’m standing alone to a side, watching as everyone moves past me,” she admits, wringing her hands as Hinoka has remarked she always seems to do when she is nervous. “Even though I love them dearly…and all of them care for me back, I feel that there is something missing that they have but I don’t.”

  


"Well, all of them are rather boisterous, even Princess Sakura," Suzukaze admits, but his face is warm when he dips a little lower to match her height, their eyes meeting. “But perhaps what they don’t have is their weakness, and what _you_ have is a strength to complement them. Too much fire in one’s head will scorch them out.”

  


“How can you tell so easily?” she asks, raising an elegant eyebrow. “But I must admit…now, when I feel out of place, I glance over to find you by my side. You give me a little smile, and suddenly, you and I are the only two people in the room.”  


“I know how that feels,” Suzukaze says, his eyes catching the lights like dark jewels in the sunset. “Aqua, you know how shy I can be as well.”

  


“H-Having you near makes me feel that I belong _somewhere_ ,” she blurts, and carefully places her hands on his defined chest, feeling the ridges and the markings that make up the man she has come to care for so deeply. He has traded his armour for a cotton shirt, dyed light green, and she can’t help but think about how much it suits him. “All of my life…I’m not sure if I’ve ever belonged. But. With you, I feel that I have a place at someone’s side.”

  


“Aqua, you are stealing the words right out of my mouth,” he admits, and the simple phrase makes Aqua’s heart thrum like Tsubaki and Hinoka’s pegasus in battle - fleeting, joyous, energetic. “You know that if were up to me, I would never leave your side.”  


She hopes he can see the sparkle in her eyes as she leans a little closer - as close as she can dare, and she feels the flutter of her lighter dress around her ankles instead of a cape. Sakura has carefully bounded her hair into a long, loose plait, and her dress is a white, not nearly as constricting as what she would usually wear. She can see Suzukaze swallow, and she knows that he is nervous as she is.

  


“Go on,” she murmurs, looking at his bashful expression. “Please, Suzukaze, I want you to speak for the two of us.”

  


“…I would marry you if I could…” he stammers, and instantly looks away, face burning in shame.

  


“…!” Aqua cannot fight the gasp that bursts out of her mouth, but she reaches up to touch Suzukaze’s hair, something she has done countless times before, but never have they held as much weight as they do now.

  


“Milady, I…I’m so sorry,” he says quickly, but stops short when he sees the pure bliss shining in her eyes.

  


“I thought you would never ask,” she says, the sound coming out like a sob. “I…I cannot tell you how long I have been waiting for this moment.”

  


He touches her elbow as if she is made of glass, and she can see the genuine smile worm its way onto his face. She can feel the heat on her cheeks matching his, and she reaches for his other hand as he starts to speak.

  


“Y-You really feel the same way?” he says, his tone coated with disbelief. “B...But I am but a ninja, who has served the royal family for the whole life. I cannot give you riches or another kingdom, Aqua, I can only give you myself.”  


“But that’s all I wish for,” Aqua says fervently. “You have never cared for me in any way that is not noble, Suzukaze, and I know our feelings are real. I do not want any of those things - I just want you at my side.”

  


“Well, I didn’t prepare a ring yet, but - please! Please marry me, Aqua,” Suzukaze says, and she cannot help but break into a beam from the way he has abandoned his uptight facade. “F-From this moment on, I promise to love and take care of you forever…and your nana!”

  


“I could not wish for more,” Aqua whispers, and gives in to his touch, resting her forehead against his. “I love you, Suzukaze. Of course I’ll marry you.”

  


He holds her tightly as Aqua kisses him underneath the lights, letting her hands wreathe over his face as he wraps his calloused hands around her waist, the burdens of being a princess and ninja falling away like the sakura petals themselves. They find a place in the world between each other’s lips, and Suzukaze gives away a piece of himself that he thought he would always tightly seize away - his _heart_.

  


** _vi_ **

  


She is walking across the floor of a ship, bare feet making no noise against floorboards like a bird’s wings against a tree. She draws her hands together to cradle Midoriko in her arms, straightening the infant’s tiny pigtails as she watches the sea. Suzukaze cannot help but be drawn to her once more, and walks to her, Shigure tugging at his long pants as father and son make their way to mother and daughter.

  


“Suzukaze,” she says all of a sudden, and his eyes crease in tenderness as she moves towards her, nestling Midoriko in her arms. He embraces her and their infant daughter, the three of them parting only when Shigure tugs on Suzukaze’s pants again, blue fringe dusting in his face.

  


“Aqua,” he replies teasingly, scooping up their son and tucking him in his arms, smiling when Shigure coos at his sister’s sleeping form. Aqua reaches over their children to kiss his nose, elation dancing in her grin when he blushes.

  


“She has your eyes,” she says gently, but makes no move to wake their daughter.

  
“Ah, finally something that our children have inherited from me,” Suzukaze teases, noting how both Midoriko and Shigure share Azura’s hair colour. Shigure looks at him with her eyes, and her light expression belongs to him.

  


“Don’t sound so despondent,” she replied. “When they grow up, I’m sure they’ll be as level headed as you are.”

  


“Funnily enough, your family seemed to know all along,” he says bashfully. “Lady Kamui and Princess Sakura were especially eager. Do you remember them elbowing in to see Shigure when he was born?”  
  
“I could never forget it,” she says sweetly, tracing Midoriko’s chubby cheek while Shigure pulls at Suzukaze’s ear. “Also the time I almost broke your arm giving birth to this little gremlin here.”

  


“As well as the time the sight of you crying on my arm inclined me to fall in love with you,” Suzukaze chided, grinning sheepishly. “That I won’t forget.”

  


“Goodness,” Aqua sighs, but can’t fight a smile that worms its way to her mouth from her stomach. “Well. These two came to be after that, and I cannot be any less thankful for them.”

  


“The war’s still not over, Aqua,” he says solemnly, untangling his son’s fist from his ear. “Soon afterwards, Shigure will have to return to his Deeprealm, and Midoriko will have to be placed in one. I do not want to go and scout one out for our daughter.”

  


“I’ll miss them so much,” Aqua says, the lightness of their banter disappearing like water vapour. “But the two of us will come back for them.”  


“Always,” Suzukaze says, cradling their son and tickling his stomach to giggles as he stands next to Aqua. “They’ll always have a home with us.”

  


The two of them watch the waves amongst a war, happiness sprouting from the most unlikely of places.

  


  


  


  


  


  


  


  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hope you enjoyed this work!


End file.
